COCKTAILS

COCKTAILS

Cocktails are mixed drinks that have become popular since the first quarter of the 20^th century and all bars offer a list of selected cocktails. However, people have been drinking mixed drinks since the inception; no one could really establish the origin of the term ‘Cocktail’. It is claimed that the first recipe for a cocktail was lemon juice and powdered mixers, appreciated by Emperor Commodus in the second century AD.

One of many popular notions on the birth of the word cocktail is that during the American War of Independence, in 1779, an innkeeper, Betsy Flanagan of Virginia prepared of chicken she stole from a neighbor who was pro British. She then served the French soldiers with mixed drinks decorated with the feathers from the birds. Her merry French guests toasted her with the words Vive le cocktail. Since then the word cocktail was used to mean the mixed drinks. This is of course one of the stories.

The word cocktail was first described in an American magazine Balance as ‘a mixture of spirits, sugar water and bitters’ in 1806

The cocktail gained ground and popularity in the USA, especially during the Prohibition period. The production, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverage were banned in the USA from 1920 to 1933 due to the pressure from religious and political thinkers.

A cocktail is normally a short drink of 3 ½ -4 fluid ounces-anything larger being called a ‘mixed drink’ or a ‘long drink’

Classification of cocktails

It is estimated that there are over 10 thousand mixed drinks and cocktails in use.

Iced drinks can be roughly divided into four groups

1.                Aperitif: These stimulate the Appetite. They must therefore be appealing to the eye. Broadly speaking, these drinks are usually made from wines mixed with spirit.

2.                Cocktail: This the largest group of all, and consists of all short shaken mixed drinks. They should contain a spirit base, coloring and flavouring ingredient or other modifying agent

3.                Long drinks: These are served in tall tumblers such as High Balls ,or Collins glass

4.                Stimulants: Instead of going to the doctor, if one has a hangover the bartender will prescribe cocktails or mixed drinks. They are also described as ‘Pick me ups’.

Components of Cocktail:

Cocktails have the following components:

Base: The major alcoholic drink used in the preparation of a cocktail is called base, which is usually a spirit. Most cocktails are built around spirits. If a cocktail has two or more alcoholic drinks the quantity of the base generally will be more than the other. If two alcoholic drinks are used in same quantity, then the one with the higher that is the sprit is considered as the base. If a cocktail has equal quantities of different spirits then any one of the spirit can be taken as the base.

Modifier: These are complimentary ingredients added to modify or enhance the flavours. Spirits, aromatized, wines beer, fruit juices, soda, cream, liqueurs, water etc.

Flavouring, Colouring and Sweetening Ingredient: A drink might have very small quantities (few drops) of one or more flavouring and sweetening ingredients to make it different from other drinks. A cocktail can be made without these ingredients.

Garnish: Many drinks have garnish. They are part of the product. It should be remembered that some drinks do not have standard garnish and it is advisable to serve without any garnish, instead of trying out different garnishes and spoiling the real flavour and value of the drink.

METHODS OF MAKING COCKTAIL

 Cocktails are made in any of these following methods according to the type of modifier ingredients

Building: It is made by pouring the ingredients one by one in the glass in which it is to be served. If ice is required, it is placed first before adding the ingredients.

Stirring: refers to mixing of the ingredients with ice by stirring quickly in a mixing glass with a stirrer and then straining to an appropriate glass. It is done very quickly to minimize the dilution.

Shaking: It is the mixing of ingredients thoroughly with ice by shaking them in Cocktail shaker and straining into appropriate glasses. Effervescent drinks should never be shaken.

Blending: This method is used for combining fruits, solid foods, ice etc in a electric bender. Any drink that can be shaken can be blended. It is a suitable method for making large quantity of mixed drinks.

Layering: This method is used when the ingredients used are of different colour flavour and density. One ingredient is floated over the other by pouring gently over the back of the spoon into straight-sided glass.

 POINTS TO NOTE WHILE MAKING COCKTAILS AND MIXED DRINKS

·                   Make sure that there is a good supply of ice

·                   Do not reuse ice.

·                   Do not touch the ice with hands. Always use scoop or tongs.

·                   Serve cocktails in chilled glasses

·                   To avoid spillage, do not fill glasses to the brim

·                   Do not overfill thee cocktail shaker.

·                   Effervescent drinks must never be shaken. It should be stirred in at last.

·                   Do not use the liquidizer for effervescent drinks.

·                   Do not leave the prepared cocktail for a long time as they will separate

·                   To extract more juice from citrus fruits, Soak them in hot water

·                   To shake use short and snappy action

·                   Check the freshness of eggs before adding

·                   Always place ice first in the mixing glass or shaker followed by nonalcoholic beverage and then non alcoholic beverages.

·                   To extract more juice from citrus fruits, Soak them in hot water

·                   To shake use short and snappy action

·                   Check the freshness of eggs before adding

·                   Always place ice first in the mixing glass or shaker followed by nonalcoholic beverage and then non alcoholic beverages.

Cocktail Garnishes

A garnish is an item that decorates and flavours food and drinks. In bar the garnish most used are fruit and some herbs. The fruit must always be fresh and washed.

The common garnishes are:

Lemons: lemon skins impart lovely citrus flavour to drinks. It is best presented as twists of lemon peel.

Lime: A lime gives 16 wedges or slices. Wedges are used to moisten the rim of the glass to adhere salt or sugar. Slices are lime wheels used as decoration for cocktails.

Orange: Orange slices or wedges are used much the same way as lime is used in cocktails with a base of orange juice.

Maraschino cherries: These cherries are specially prepared for cocktail decorative purposes.

Olives: Olives go well with neat drinks like vodka and gin

Pineapple: Pineapple spears or wheels go as garnishes for tropical drinks, where pineapple juice is used.

Mint leaves: they are ideal for decorative purposes specially when a contrast in colour is desired

Parsley: Parsley shoots are used in some rinks more as a decorative item.

Popular styles of Mixed Drinks

S.No.                       Style                         Description Method/Glassware

1           Collins   Ice, Sprit, lemon, sugar, syrup, soda       Build/shake; Collins

2      Coolers       Ice, Sprit or wine, Syrup, Soda/ginger ale/      Build; Collins/highball

                             Any carbonated drink

3      Rickey        Ice, sprit, fresh lime soda                         Build; highball/old fashioned

4      Buck           Same as Rickey; instead of soda and lime       Build; highball/ old-fashioned

                             Ginger ale and lemon are used

5      old-fashioned Sprit Sugar, bitters, cherry, and orange for   Build; old-fashioned

                             Garnish Sugar, bitters, ice whisky. It is simply

                             Whiskey over the ice without any mixer. It is

                             It is sweetened, flavoured, and garnished.

                             Sugar cube is moistened with splash of soda or

                             Water and bitters and then muddled with bar

                             Spoon, filled with ices, quantity of spirit added

                             And stirred quickly. Garnished with cherry,

                             Orange Peel, or lemon

6      Mint julep  Bourbon, fresh mint, sugar, shaved ice    Build; highball

                             It is a popular American drink. Sprigs of

                             Mint are placed in a frosted glass with

                             a spoonful of sugar and muddled with

                             the base of the bar spoon. Measure of

                             bourbon whiskey is added and the glass

                             is filled with plenty of ice.

7      Martini        Gin, vermouth, garnish                            Stir; cocktail glass

                             It is the most famous of all cocktails. The

                             Drink was first made in 1860 in New York

                              And the original recipe had gin, vermouth

                             Maraschino and bitters. It was modified to

                             2 parts of gin to 1 part of vermouth in the

                             Early 1900s and in the 1940s it was made

                             Using 4 parts of gin to 1 part of vermouth

                             And now it is 9 parts of gin to 1 part of

                             Vermouth.

8      Daiquiris     Chilled drink made with rum, lime and sugar    Shake; cocktail glass

9      Frozen         It is blended drink made with plenty of ice,       Blend; goblet

        Daiquiris     spirits liqueurs, sugar syrup, fruits, and

                             Juice

10    Daisies        Sprit, lemon, Grenadine, crushed ice, soda        Shake; mug, goblet

                             Is optional; garnished with fruit

11    Egg noggs   Sprit, egg, milk, sugar, nutmeg          Shake; mug

12    Fixes           Short drink made by pouring the ingredients     Build; goblet

                             One by one over the ice and decorated with

                             Fruits, Served with straws                      

13    Fizz             Spirits citrus juice, sugar, soda, egg, ice cube      Shake; highball

14    Flips            Same as egg noggs without mild and egg white;           Shake; goblet

                             Spirits or fortified wine, sugar, egg yolk, nutmeg

15    Frappes       Spirit and/or liqueurs and crushed ice. Served              Build/shake; 6-12oz

                             With short straw                                     glass

16    Highball      Spirits, carbonated water, and ice cube       Build; highball

                             It is simple and quickly prepared drink

17    Mist             Sprit, crushed ice                                  old-fashioned/rocks

18    Pousse-       Syrups, Liqueurs, and spirits of various densities          Layering; straight sided

        Café             are gently layered one over the other by gently              glass

                             Pouring over the back of the spoon. Each

                             Ingredient is floated over the other

19    Punches      Rum, hot or cold water, citrus fruit juice, sugar              Shake; Collins/goblet

                             And fruits

20    Smashes      Smaller version of mint juleps, made from any               Build; old-fashioned/

                             Spirit, sprigs of mint, sugar crushed ices.                Rocks

21    Sling           Spirits, liqueur, citrus juice, soda ice cube garnish           Shake/build; Collins/

                                                                                                 Highball                                

22        Sours       Spirits, citrus fruit juice, syrup, egg white                 Shake; cocktail

23    Spritzer       Wine, Soda, ice cube                                        Build; highball/goblet

24    Cup             It is a hot-weathered drink of gin or wine base                  Build/stir; highball/bowl

25    Sangarees    It is a sweetened drink made with spirits, wine,                 Stir; old fashioned

                             And other alcoholic drinks

26    Swizzle       Spirits, sugar citrus juice crushed ice soda and                    Stir; highball

                             Bitters are optional

27    Toddy         It may be either hot or cold and served as refresher        Stir; goblet/old

                             and soother. These drinks are flavoured with spices         fashioned

                             And usually contain a slice of lemon or lemon peel

                                                               

Classic Cocktails.

1) ALEXANDER

This drink is supposed to have been invented by Hollywood singing star, nelson eddy, more remembered for his recipe than his film

1/3 brandy

1/3 brown crème de cacao

1/3 cream

Shake, sprinkle grated nutmeg on top

 2) B & B

The traditional mix of half Benedictine and half

cognac, no ice no garnish.

3) BACARDI

Must be made with worlds’ largest selling

White rum brand

¾ Bacardi white rum

¼ fresh lime juice

½ bar spoon of grenadine

Shake, slice of lime

4) BETWEEN THE SHEETS

A 1920s recipe with has become popular again

1/3 brandy

1/3 white rum

1/3 cointreau

1 dash of lemon juice

5) BLOODY MARY

Supposedly the best hangover cure

1fl. Oz of vodka

4fl. Oz of tomato juice

2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

1 dash of fresh lemon juice

celery salt

add Tabasco sauce  & pepper to taste

Shake, stir or build

6) BLACK RUSSIAN

2/3 vodka

1/3 Kahlua

Build into an ice filled old fashioned glass

7) BLUE LAGOON

½ fl. Oz of vodka

½ fl. Oz of blue Curacao

Lemonade

Pour vodka and Curacao over ice in a high ball glass.

Top with lemonade.

8)BOMBAY COCKTAIL

½ brandy

½ dry vermouth

½ sweet vermouth

1 dash of pastis

2 dash of orange Curacao

Stir

9) BRONX

A mixture of gin and both type vermouth.

Dates back to the early 20th century.

Good aperitif

½ gin

1/6 dry vermouth

1/6 sweet vermouth

1/6 fresh orange juice

10) CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

An alternative to serving champagne straight dates back to the 19th century.

1 lump sugar

Angostura bitter

2 dashes of brandy

Champagne

Place sugar in a champagne glass, saturate with

Bitter and add brandy. Top it up with iced

Champagne & add a slice of orange or cherry.

11) CUBA LIBRE

1fl. Oz of white rum

Juice of half fresh lime

Cola

12) DIAQUIRI

Created in 1890s, it is named after a town in Cuba.

Fruit versions are also available

¾ white rum

¼ fresh juice

3 dashes of gomme syrup

13) DUBONNET COCKTAIL

Uses the French proprietary brand

½ gin

½ dubonnet

Stir. Add a twist of lemon peel

Variation – dubbonet royal

14) FLIPPS

A family of drinks containing fresh egg yolk. Can be made with spirits or wine. Served in medium sized wine glass

15) GINN FIZZ

The combination of fizziness and sourness is what

Makes it so refreshing

1 measure of gin

1fl. Oz of fresh lime juice

1 bar spoon of gomme syrup

Soda water

Shake together all but the soda water.

Top it up with soda water.

16) GIN SLING

Precursor of the fizz family. It also came to have a bitter element

1 Large measure of gin

juice of one lemon

2 dashes of gomme syrup

soda water

Build together all but the soda water into an ice filled highball glass.

Stir in the soda water.

17) GIMLET

Gin used is ideally Plymouth gin

2/3 gin

1/3 lime juice cordial

Soda water (optional)

Stir together all but the soda water. Serve on the rocks, splash of

Soda water if desired. Dry or bitter gimlet can be made by addition of angostura bitter and replacing lime juice with lime juice

18) Harvey’s Wall Banger

•                     30 ml Vodka

•                     30 ml  galliano

•                     150 ml Orange juice

Stir Garnish with orange slice and cherry. Float some Galliano on top.

 19) JOHN COLLINS

Normally a summer drink, long & refreshing, named after a head waiter of England. In late 1930s and before, a john

 Collins was made with Dutch gin & Tom Collins with old tom gin.

Its now accepted; however that drinks be made with

 London dry gin & therefore identical.

Juice of 1 lemon

1 bar spoon of gomme syrup

1 measure of gin

Soda water

Place some ice in a highball glass and add lemon juice,

Syrup and gin. Top it up with soda water.

 Stir & serve with a slice of lemon. Serve with straws

20) MANHATTAN

Available in both sweet & dry varieties

Sweet                                                                                   Dry

2/3 rye whiskey                                                     2/3 rye whiskey

1/3 sweet vermouth                                               1/3 dry vermouth

1 dash angostura bitter                                  1 dash angostura bitter

Stir, add a cherry                                          stir, and add a twist of lemon Peel

Perfect

2/3 rye whiskey

1/6 dry vermouth

1/6 sweet vermouth

Stir; serve straight up or on the rocks.

Add a twist of lemon peel & cherry.

21) MARGARITA

Created in Tijuana, Mexico in late 1940s is probably one of the best known tequila cocktail.

Its saltiness & sourness make it a great aperitif.

2/5 tequila

2/5 fresh lime juice

1/5 triple sec

Shake, rub the rim of the glass with lemon to moisten and then dip it in salt.

22) MARTINI

The martini is the most famous of all cocktails, lot of argument over its recipe & quantity of vermouth. James bond make it even more popular by having vodkatini, vodka instead of gin.

Sweet                                                                            Dry

2/3 gin                                                                     2 ½ fl. Oz gin

1/3 sweet vermouth                                      2 dash dry vermouth

Stir, add a cherry                                  stir, and add a twist of lemon/olive

Perfect

2/3 gin

1/6 dry vermouth

1/6 sweet vermouth

Stir, add a twist of lemon

23) NOGS

A class of mixed drinks served alcoholic & non alcoholic with milk & eggs.

Alcoholic nogs add a measure of spirit and it takes that name,

 eg. Whiskey nog

Non alcoholic egg nogs….

1 egg

1 bar spoon soft sugar

½ pint milk

Shake well. Serve in 12oz tumbler. Grate nutmeg on top.

24) PIMMS CUP

Cups are of English origin, the most famous being, the stirrup cup served to hunting party about to set off or travelers in need of hasty refreshment.

Pimms no. 1 cup is a proprietary version

 Created by James pimm in 1820s.

He devised this recipe to mark out his own establishment in the city of London from the run of other oyster bars

There was once various version of Pimms cup.

Pimms no.1 – gin

Pimms no. 2- whiskey

Pimms no.3- brandy

Pimms no. 4- rum

Pimms no. 5- vodka

Pour Pimms into an ice filled highball glass then top it with lemonade, ginger ale or 7up.

Decorate with slice of lemon or orange & a rind of cucumber /mint.

25) PINA COLADA

This is one of the most popular cocktail worldwide with a name meaning “strained pineapple”.

 For that Caribbean touch, the drink may be served in hollowed out pineapple shell.

2 measures white rum

2 measures pineapple juice

1 ½ coconut cream

Shake & strain into a cocktail goblet

26) PINK LADY

Yet another of the “ladies” drinks. It dates before the First World War and was named after a stage play. The pink color is obtained from a liberal dose of pomegranate syrup.

4/5 gin

1/5 grenadine

1 egg white

Shake

27) PLANTERS PUNCH

This long, refreshing old colonial drink originated from sugar plantation of West Indies. It probably originated in 1655 as rum punch.

2 measures dark rum

1 measure lime juice

1 measure orange juice

½ measure grenadine

Dash of angostura bitter. Stir; top it up with soda water.

28) ROB ROY

A further modification of Manhattan. Made with scotch and very much in the sweeter end of the spectrum.

 Traditionally drunk on St. Andrews day, Nov 30.

½ scotch whisky

½ sweet vermouth

1 dash of angostura bitter

Stir, add a chRUSTY NAIL

2/3 Scotch whisky

1/3 drambuie

Stir, old fashioned glass. Twist of lemon

29) SCREW DRIVER

This is named after an American oil rig worker developed the habit of stirring his drink with screwdriver.

1 fl. Oz vodka

4 fl. Oz fresh orange juice

Build into a large ice filled glass.

30) SIDE CAR

¼ Brandy

¼ cointreau

¼ lemon juice

Shake

31) SINGAPORE SLING

Usually attributed to far distant places with a warm climate.

Singapore sling has its origin in the famous raffles hotel, Singapore.

1 measure gin

juice of 1 lemon

½ fl. Oz cherry brandy

Soda water

Shake together all but the soda water.

Strain into an ice filled high ball glass.

 Stir in the soda water. Add an orange slice.

32) TEQUILA SUNRISE

This classical Mexican recipe of the 1930s takes its name from the way the grenadine syrup first sinks to the bottom and rises to the service.

1 fl. Oz tequila

4 fl. Oz orange juice

2 dashes of grenadine

Build tequila & orange juice in large ice filled glass.

Stir & splash grenadine. Decorate with

 Orange slice & cherry.

33) WHISKY SOUR.

Sours must be made with fresh juices

1 ½ fl. Oz whisky

1 ½ fl. Oz fresh lemon juice

½ fl. Oz gomme syrup

1 dash egg white

Shake, strain into large cocktail glass.

Decorate with a slice of lemon.

34) TEQUILA SUNRISE

This classical Mexican recipe of the 1930s takes its name from the way the grenadine syrup first sinks to the bottom and rises to the service.

1 fl. Oz tequila

4 fl. Oz orange juice

2 dashes of grenadine

Build tequila & orange juice in large ice filled glass.

Stir & splash grenadine. Decorate with Orange slice & cherry.

35) WHISKY SOUR

Sours must be made with fresh juices

1 ½ fl. Oz whisky

1 ½ fl. Oz fresh lemon juice

½ fl. Oz gomme syrup

1 dash egg white

Shake, strain into large cocktail glass.

Decorate with a slice of lemon.

36) WHITE LADY

This is one of the classic cocktail recipes of the 1920s & is still going strong today.

½ gin

¼ fresh lemon juice

¼ cointreau

1 dash egg white

Shake.

Non Alcoholic mixers

Although many of the drinks are commonly drunk unmixed, like Single malt Scotch whisky aged brandies and rums, and various wines and beers, the great deal majority at all were it not for nonalcoholic mixers.

Water: The simplest of all mixers that dilute the strength of ardent spirits without altering the character of their basic flavour. Water is indispensable to whisky drinkers

Fruit juices: There are many kind different juices which can be pressed to service. Examples are:

·                   Orange juice

·                   Lemon Juice

·                   Lime juice.

·                   Pineapple juice.

·                   Grapefruit Juice

·                   Tomato juice

·                   Other fruit juices

Sparkling beverages:

·                   Soda water

·                   Tonic water ( quinine based Mineral water mainly used for Gin and Tonic)

·                   Lemonade

·                   Cola

·                   Ginger ale (ginger beer)

Syrups:

·                   Grenadine (juice of pomegranate)

·                   Orgeat (Flavored with almonds and smells like marzipan)

·                   Sirop de gomme or gomme syrup is actually sugar syrup

·                   Other fruit juice. ( rarely used)